Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Last of the Others
by pyrusmew4
Summary: Ty always dreamed about the Others, and he wishes he could meet one. After all this time, he has not only finally met one but gained a friend in them as well. But as his trips to see them begin to worry the Guardians, what would it take for him to protect his friend, the last Others, from extinction? I'm not very good at making summaries.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Guardians of Ga'Hoole or any of its characters, I only own the new ones.**

**"Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Last of the Others"**

**Prologue**

_A long time ago, long before the Guardians of Ga'Hoole were formed and the time of Glaux, there were once mysterious beings that roamed the Owl Kingdoms, their true name was unknown to owl kind and they were simply known as the "Others". The Others were said to have walked on two stick-like legs, no tail of any kinds, no fur nor feathers anywhere on their bodies, no beaks, no claws, but they did have these strange appendages. The Others were believed to have built the castles and churches with nothing but stone and wood. These beings were rumored to be very advance for they were the ones that created the books that owls use and write today. But the Others were not superior in any way, for one day the Others simply vanished without a trace. Nothing remains of the Others to this day, except for the ruins of the castles they had built, as well as their fossilized remains. Soon, forests began to spread over where the Others once lived leading to the birth of the Owl Kingdoms. However, not all the owls believe that the Others were wiped out completely, for a few months after the defeat of the Pure Ones, there were rumors of one of the Others living in the Forest Kingdom of Tyto, the birth place of Soren, the King of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree after Boron, a Snowy Owl along with his mate Baran whom along with the previous King of the Great Tree and Soren's nephew, Coryn, were now in Glaumora. Soren, whom had a__ clutch of two eggs where for some reason, only one hatched, a young Barn Owl Soren named Tyto after his old forest home. Tyto, or "Ty" as he prefers to be called, was very interested about the mysterious Others and often wonders what they were like. One year after his hatching, he was exploring his father's old home after hearing about a rumor about another creature living in the forest and wanted to see if it was true. Suddenly he was attacked by crows and went yeep as he plunged to the ground while his life flashed before his eyes…_

* * *

The Pure Ones: The Pure Ones were a large owl organization consisting mainly of the family _Tytonidae_, more commonly known as Barn Owls, comprised of subspecies such as _Tyto alba_, _Tyto tenebricosa_, and _Tyto multipunctata_. Its main goal was to eliminate the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and "purify" the owl kingdoms.

Glaumora: n. owl heaven

Yeep: _adj._ a term used by birds when, in a state of shock and/or fear, a bird loses its instinct to fly, its wings lock mid-flight, and it suddenly plummets to the ground or in the water, as in "going yeep". Fire blinking often causes owls to go yeep, as well as Twilight's battle cries.

* * *

**Hey, guys! I'm pyrusmew4, and since you clicked the link to my first story, let me be the first (and probably only) to say thank you.**

**Since this is my first story, I know it's not going to be perfect (Hey what story is perfect? There's always room for improvement, I say), so any feedback except flames, of course-would be greatly appreciated. If anything doesn't sit right with you readers, be it grammatical, canonical, lame humor, etc., I am perfectly open to suggestions as to how to fix it.**

**For information regarding the Guardians of Ga'Hoole book series, check out the Guardians of Ga'Hoole wiki: the wiki has tons of facts regarding the characters from the original book series so that you can figure out whether or not story sounds like something you'll want to read.**

**I'm pyrusmew 4 and until next time, keep your burning spirit blazing!**

**…**

**…Do I already have a catchphrase? Hoo boy…**


	2. Chapter 1-The Rumors

(A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Sorry it took me so long, but you guys know how school is, lots of homework, studying for tests, etc. Anywho, I apologized to anyone who couldn't wait anymore but here is the official 1st chapter)

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, but I do own the copyright of Tyto/Ty**

**Chapter 1-The Rumors**

A young Barn Owl named Tyto, or "Ty" as his friends called him, was hatched few weeks after Soren and his mate Pellimore, became the new King and Queen of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree after the death of Soren's nephew Coryn who died during the aftermath of the War of the Ember. The young owlet had a personality filled with curiosity, in fact, the young Barn Owl was never afraid to ask questions, especially when it involves his future as a full-fledged Guardian of Ga'Hoole. However, after his first branching lesson, his curiosity began to grow when he found out about the Others, soon he began to ask questions about them.

"What did the Others look like? Why and how did they vanish? "Are the Others still around, and if so where are they now?" These are the questions that boggled the young owlet's mind. Whenever he asks the other Guardians these questions, the most common answers he seems to get is either "I don't know" or "I'm not sure," any answer he receives doesn't seem to satisfy his curiosity. Even his father doesn't have a clear answer because every time Ty asks his father he always gives his son the same answer. "No Owl knows how the Others lived because there are no known creatures that have seen one up close."

Ty's interest in the Others have caused him to nightdream during chaw practice, the navigation chaw to be precise. Gylfie, a female elf owl and the chaw's ryb, notices this in Ty ever since he found out about the Others. Even though his father and her were old friends, she is never happy when Ty becomes distracted with thoughts of the Others. It was on the first day of the golden rain that Ty's adventure began. And it began during his previous chaw practice.

"TYTO! Are you even listening?"

Ty eyes widened at the sound of his ryb's voice as she asked, "You're nightdreaming again, aren't you?"

Ty lowered his head. "Yes, I apologized for that, Gylfie."

A few seconds later, a young elf owl about Ty's age landed next to the two owls. "It's hard to believe that Ty's believes in something nonexistent as the Other," the elf owl said.

When Ty heard this he did not take very kindly, as he fought with the elf owl.

"Ty, stop fighting your friend this instant!"

When Ty heard his father's voice, the fighting soon ended.

Ty then bowed his head. "Sorry Da, I didn't mean to start a fight," the young barn owl apologized.

As Soren looked in his son's eyes, he knew in his gizzard that Ty was telling the truth. "Alright then, just don't let it happen again."

Ty nodded. "Don't worry Da, I won't."

As soon as chaw practice ended, Soren spoke to his son. "Tyto, after breaklight, you and I are going to have a talk, alone."

Ty nodded. "Yes Da, as you wish."

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

As soon as the breaklight meal came and went, Ty and his father met in their hollow.

"Tyto, what was that fight about, anyway?" Soren asked his son.

"Nothing Da, it was just a disagreement," Ty replied.

The hollow was filled with silence for a moment before Soren spoke up again. "Tyto, you weren't nightdreaming about the Others again, were you?"

The barn owl tensed up. His parents didn't like their son getting distracted during chaw practice. They found it strange that Ty believes the Others are still alive; even when they haven't been seen for so long.

"Uh… maybe…," he muttered. "Why?"

Soren sighed. "Tyto, your Ma and I have told you before that the Other have died out ages ago."

Ty nodded. "I know, it's just I get this weird feeling in my gizzard that there is something about the Others that we just aren't seeing with our own eyes."

"The Others haven't been seen since the time of Hoole," Soren reminded him.

"But what if they are still alive? What if they are still among us?" Ty asked.

"There hasn't been an owl recorded that has seen a living Other anywhere in the owl kingdoms," Soren answered.

"Just because no owl has seen them doesn't mean no creature has, and it certainly doesn't mean they are gone," Ty argued.

"Look Tyto, there hasn't been an owl recorded that has seen a living Other anywhere in the owl kingdoms, and there never will be an owl that has seen one. That is final!" Soren declared.

Ty sighed. "Alright , if what you say is true, then I will accept your answer."

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

A few days have passed, and Ty was beginning to doubt his sanity. But one day, his doubts about the Others were eased.

It was Twixt Time, and Ty couldn't sleep, so he decided to fly around the tree for a while. However as he got near the roots of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, he heard a conversation between the Band. The band consisted of Gylfie as their navigator, Twilight; a Great Gray Owl who is the ryb for the Beginning Search and Rescue chaw, Battle Claw Techniques, Fire and Ice Weapons, Digger; a Burrowing Owl who has recently became the new ryb for the Trackers chaw, and his father was the leader of the band who is not only the King of the Great Tree, but is also the ryb for the Gizzard Matters, Colliering chaw, and Weather Interperetation chaw.

"What is the news from the Forest Kingdom of Tyto, Twilight?" Ty recognized the voice as his father.

"Well, apparently there are rumors of an unknown creature making it's residence there, and we have reports of it not being born there," Ty heard Twilight say.

"Are you sure?" Ty heard Gylfie asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yes, there have been sightings of that creature for months now."

"How do we know it could possibly the Pure Ones," Ty heard Digger said.

Soren shook his head. "Impossible, the Pure Ones were defeated long ago, and they have not been seen ever since Nyra was defeated for the last time."

"The rumors are that this creature is neither bird nor snake. In fact, no owl is even sure what kind of animal the creature is," Twilight said.

"Alright, until the rumors are proven true, no guardian is allowed to enter Tyto Forest unless they have permission from one of us," Soren declared.

As Ty flew back to the hollow he was caught by his father. "What are you doing, son?"

"Nothing, I couldn't sleep so I flew around for a bit," Ty answered.

"And did you hear anything of interest while you were flying about?"

"You could say that," he replied.

As the two went into their hollow together, Ty thought about what he heard today but decided to wait till tomorrow to make a decision.

* * *

Breaklight: n. the meal owls enjoy at the end of the night, just before the break of dawn

Chaw: n. a small team of owls with a special set of skills: search-and-rescue, navigation, weather-interpretation, colliering, tracking, Ga'Hoolology, and metals

Gizzard: n. an owl's second stomach, which compacts bones, feathers, and fur into a pellet, which is then yarped; an invaluable emotional guide, where an owl's deepest feelings are felt. Owls often swear by this "by my gizzard"

Golden rain: n. the owls of Ga'Hoole's word for Summer

Hoole: n. the name of the first owl, and of Hoole, the first king of Ga'Hoole - the foster son of Grank and son of H'rath and Siv. Meaning "first of a kind"

Ryb: n. teacher

Twixt time: n. dawn

* * *

**I should be honest with you guys, I actually planned this fanfiction at least two months ago I just never got around to uploading it then because I was planning out the story before I uploaded the prologue. Also if you guys are wondering why I chose the name "Tyto" for Soren's son, it is mainly because the scientific name for the common barn owl, is the _Tyto Alba_, hence the name. About that young elf owl Ty fought with, there will be more on him later. By the way, I do own that elf owl character, but like I said more on him later. Now before I end this chapter, I think I should share some interesting facts about owls.**

***There are 205 species of owls**

***Most owls are nocturnal**

*******Many species of owls have special flight feathers adapted for silent flight**

***Owls do more than just hoot—they create many different vocalizations**

***Owls' eyes are fixed in their sockets**

***Owls have long been a part of human folklore and legend**

**Alright then, I'm pyrusmew4 and until next time, keep your burning spirit blazing!**


	3. Chapter 2 - To Tyto Forest!

(A/N: If you're wondering why Ty was attacked in the prologue, this chapter should explain everything. I know you been waiting long for this, so you'll be happy to know that the wait is now over. An Other will make an appearance for the very first time. One more thing, someone is written a review that states that Ty is Soren's only child; let me explain clearly so there won't be any confusion in the future; first of all, I never said that Ty was Soren's only child but was their only child, and second, if anyone has read the prologue carefully they would see that this story takes place a year AFTER the events in The War of the Ember, therefore Ty couldn't be an only child since he has three older sisters. So in a way, this story technically counts as book 16 in the series. Speaking of sisters, one of them will appear in this chapter. Without further ado, let's begin!)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Guardians of Ga'Hoole**

**Chapter 2- To Tyto Forest!**

As Ty woke up at Tween Time, he had a feeling in his gizzard that the unidentified creature that the Band was speaking of might be an Other. After thinking it over for at least a week, he decided to visit his father old home to see if his feeling is correct. He knows that if he tries to go there during Tween Time, he might get caught by his father.

If I can't sneak out during the night, then I'll sneak out during twixt time, Ty thought.

The next day, after making sure that everyone is fast asleep, he grabbed his journal & put it in his botkin, and went to the southwestern side of the Island of Hoole.

"Where are you going Ty," he heard an owl say.

When Ty turned around, he saw his sister Bell standing behind him.

Before Ty was born, Soren had three daughters, Bell, Blyth, and Sebastia or "Bash" as she's commonly known as. Together, they were known as the three B's.

"Well, don't tell Da, but I'm going to Tyto Forest to see if the rumors I heard were true," Ty told his sister.

"Do you think you can take me with you?"

Ty shook his head. "I think it might be better if I went there alone. But don't worry; one day I'll take you there with me; that's a promise."

Ty was about to leave before Bell spoke up. "Ty, wait. What if Gylfie notices you're not here during chaw practice?" asked Bell.

"You got a point there, Bell," Ty answered as he thought it over for a few seconds. "Well if she does, tell her that I'm on a special mission that Da assigned me, and if Da finds out I'm missing, promise me that you won't tell him where I have gone to."

Bell nodded. "Alright, but you have to tell Da where you went when you come back."

"Very well, but I'll only be gone for a few days," Ty assured her. "No need to worry."

"Ty, whenever you tell someone not to worry, that's when they worry the most," Bell replied.

"I'll be fine, Bell," Ty reminded Bell. "Besides I'll be back long before anyone realizes I'm missing. Trust me, what could go wrong?"

And with that, Ty took off from the island; heading towards Tyto Forest.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

When he reached the southwestern end of the Sea of Hoolemere, Ty began to follow River Hoole, knowing that traveling through the Beaks will cause his path to be near the Mirror Lakes, a place that is dangerous because of its appearance. In fact, when his father first arrived at the Mirror Lakes with the Band, they were nearly strayed from their destination, the Great Ga' Hoole Tree.

As he flew, he thought about what his father said; about how the Others have been gone for many years, and that there is no proof to show that they are still around. But that is why he is doing this, to find that proof. Ever since he found out about the Others, he gotten a strange feeling in his gizzard that the Others were still around, and that the Guardians just never realize it.

If the father found out the reason he was doing this, there was no doubt that Soren would think his son was going yoicks. So he makes a promise to himself, that unless if he sees a real life Other for himself or gives up on his search, he will not return to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. And if he does meet one, he will not reveal their existence to the Guardians unless he feels that the time is right. He knows that he'll get a flint mop for this, especially if his father found out his son was listening in on his meeting with the rest of the band through the roots. But he knows that it was a risk it was worth taking, even if it means burying pellets for 3 days.

As tween time drew close, Ty decided to rest in the Forest Kingdom of Ambala before continuing tomorrow. He found a hollow in a nearby tree and perched on the tree. Before he fell asleep, he began to write in his journal...

_I began to leave for Tyto Forest before being seen by my sister, Bell. I know I promise her I'll bring her with me to Tyto Forest. But what would happen if I did? I'll worry about that when the time comes. As I left the island of Hoole I traveled halfway towards the Forest Kingdom of Tyto, and decided to rest in the Forest Kingdom of Ambala before finishing my search._

_As I write this, I somehow get the feeling I forgetting something, something important. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling that has something to do with flying in the Southern Kingdoms during the day. I don't know why, the previous King of Ga'Hoole, Coryn flew during the day before. Da told me once that when he and the Band flew during the daytime, it was the biggest mistake he had ever made, and told me to never do it alone. I don't recall why, but maybe my strange feeling and my Da's warning are somehow connected._

_Perhaps I'll find out the answer during twixt time tomorrow, when I arrive at Tyto Forest to begin my search._

As he finished writing in his journal, Ty soon fell asleep, knowing he needs to be well rested before continuing towards Tyto Forest.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

At twixt time, Ty woke up and took off as he continued his search. After two hours, he finally arrived at his destination, the Forest Kingdom of Tyto, the birth place of not only his father, but his deceased uncle Kludd and aunt Eglantine. He searched above the forest; he searched close to the ground. He searched high & low, and he searched near & far. However, after searching for three days, the young barn owl could not find any sign of an Other, and was beginning to lose faith in himself. "Maybe Da was right, maybe the Others aren't around anymore. Even if there were, Da may have noticed them while he was looking for their ruins before me and my older sisters were hatched."

Meanwhile on the ground, a strange being is watching the young barn owl, wondering what the owlet is doing here. It was aware of all the barn owls that reside in the forest, but it knew it never saw this barn owl before. As it tried to move closer to the owlet, it stepped on a twig on the ground; causing it to break.

As Ty heard the sound, he flew up and then used his owl slits to pinpoint the sound. Since owl ears were not aligned, he had to rotate his head to pinpoint the sound better. But as he turned his head, he saw crows heading towards him.

_Great Glaux!_ thought Ty. _Now I remember why it was dangerous for owls to fly during the day._

Right after Ty's father, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger became a band. They were flying during the day when suddenly, they were mobbed by crows, and this happened before they found the Great Ga'Hoole tree. They managed to drive off the crows, but at the cost of Digger being injured

As he realized it, he tried to fly away. But it was too late; the crows were already upon him and began to surround him. The crows were the first to strike, and Ty did his best to fight back. Unfortunately, the crows were too quick and he soon realized that he was outnumbered. He thought it was the end for him. As the crows attacked him once again, he soon began to go yeep knowing he won't survive.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he saw the crows being attacked with a barrage of cold coals, one by one; the crows began to fly away. Ty was trying to pull up. But one of his wings hit a branch, rendering him unable to fly.

As he hit the ground, he was badly injured, and could barely keep his eyes open. Then out of the shadows, a strange creature moved towards him, the strange creature that was watching the young owlet. As Ty looked at the creature, he was sure that he has never seen this kind of animal before. The creature stood on their two legs, and they had strange appendages, similar to that of a raccoon. As for the rest of the creature, it was concealed by strange cloak which covered its face. But as Ty looked at the left appendage, he saw that it was covered in metal

When Ty saw the cold coals the creature held, he knew in his gizzard that this creature that stood before him was the one who saved him from the crows. Soon his vision became blurry, as his eyes closed as he used all his strength during the fight.

As the creature stood there for a few minutes, it began to collect some sticks from the ground, and tore a piece of his cloak off. It soon placed some sticks on the owlet's broken wing, and began to wrap the wing with the pieces of its cloth while the wing was in place. As it finished tending to the young barn owl's wing, it son picked the owlet and carried him to a strange tree that was hollowed out from the inside, and the creature took the barn owl inside, and placed him on a nest made of moss. As Ty slept, the creature that he was looking was closer than he believes, he just never realize it.

* * *

Botkin: _n_. a special bag for carrying ice weapons or books

Cold coal: an odd coal that can disable the magnetic properties of flecks without burning anything

Flint mop: _n_. the Ga'Hoolian form of punishment; roughly means to do something to pay back for the value that has been taken away. An example of a flint mop could be burying pellets for 3 days.

Tween time: _n_. dusk; the time between the last drop of sun and the first shadows in the evening

Yoicks: _adj_. crazy; loony; out of one's mind

* * *

**Remember when I mentioned that I already planned out this fanfiction? Well when I first planned out this chapter, Ty was never caught leaving by Bell until a few chapters later. But somehow I had this feeling that adding that scene would change the reader's point of view. Plus I thought it might make the story a little more interesting. And for all those Pokémon fans, don't hold that thing about Ty saying "No need to worry" which Dawn had always said during the Sinnoh saga, I added that just for fun, and there will be no connection between these different Medias. On the bright side, Ty finally found the Others, or at least one of them, though you will have to wait till next chapter to find out what happens next. Now to close this chapter, I'm going to tell some interesting facts about one of the many species of owls, the barn owl.**

***The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds**

***The barn owls often live up to their name, inhabiting barns and other old, abandoned buildings.**

***The barn owl can fly almost silently. This enables it to hear the slightest sounds made by its rodent prey hidden in deep vegetation while it's flying up to three meters overhead.**

***The barn owl's heart-shaped face collects sound in the same way as human ears. Its hearing is the most sensitive of any creature tested.**

***Barn owls are non-territorial. Adults live in overlapping home ranges, each one covering approximately 5,000 hectares. That's a staggering 12,500 acres or 7,100 football pitches!**

***Barn Owls don't hoot the way most other owls do, but their harsh screeches can be heard at night**

***It's not uncommon for barn owl chicks in the nest to feed each other. This behavior is incredibly rare in birds.**

***In order to live and breed, a pair of barn owls needs to eat around 5,000 prey items a year. These are mainly field voles, wood mice, and common shrews.**

***Though barn owls are capable of producing three broods of five to seven young each year, most breed only once and produce, on average, only two and a half young. 29 per cent of nests produce no young at all**

**I'll have to be honest, I'm surprised that I finished the chapter this quickly, but you know what they say "Opportunity knocks when you least expect it" or that's what I think they say. If I'm lucky, I'll probably have the next chapter uploaded by Christmas, though I won't guarantee it will happen. Speaking of my next chapter, I already have begun working on it just before I completed writing this chapter.**

**Alright I'm pyrusmew4, until next time; keep your burning spirit blazing. And as Nightfury18 once told me in her review for my previous chapter, "May you have strong but fair winds carrying your wings of imagination!" Nightfury18, if you're reading this chapter right now, let me say that truer words have never been spoken.**


	4. Chapter 3- The Stranger

(A/N: Merry Christmas everyone; for real this time! I thought I leave you all a little Christmas present. I got one too; my very first fan for my fan fiction, congratulations Nightfury18. For those of you that didn't, shall we say, comprehend the ending of the previous chapter, the creature who saved Ty is an Other, and Ty is about to find out. Now remember, Ty started having doubts again about them, so he'll be a "little" surprised. Now on with the chapter!)

**Disclaimer: I only own the new characters, hands off!**

**Chapter 3 – The Stranger**

At the Great Tree, Bell was doing chaw practice. Like Ty, she was in the Navigation Chaw. Ever since Ty left, she waited for her little brother to return, but he hasn't. Like she promised Ty, she told Gylfie that her Da sent Soren to Tyto Forest for an important mission. Gylfie didn't question her but after four days, she was starting to become a little suspicious.

"Bell, care to explain where your brother is?" the elf owl asked, as she perched next to Bell.

"He's at Tyto Forest with Da's permission, remember?" Bell answered.

"Yes, but explain this to me, if Tyto did go to Tyto Forest with permission, then why was your father asking me about your brother whereabouts?"

Bell hesitated before answering, "I think it may be best if you and Da asked Ty himself. He'll be able to explain his reason for leaving without Da's permission as well as why he hasn't returned."

Gylfie nodded. "Alright then, but I have to alert the King and Queen that their only son is missing," she said.

"I don't know if you should; if you tell them while they're flying, then there's a chance that Mum will probably go yeep. Better explain it to them as gently as possibly," Bell answered.

Gylfie nodded. As she spotted the King and Queen flying in the air, she flew up to them and told them about Ty. And just as Bell predicted, the queen of the Great Tree, Pellimore went yeep as she heard that their only son is missing.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Ty wasn't sure how long he slept nor does he know where he was; because when he woke up he saw that he was in a nest made from moss. As he looked around, he saw that he was underground.

_I guess some of the ruins of the Others were hidden underground, not to mention that this nest is serves as a croft for traveling owls_, thought Ty.

As he looked at his wing, he discovered that someone or something had bandaged it. He tried to move his wing, but when he moved it even a bit, pain began to sear through his body.

"Grr, I can't believe I broke my wing!" Ty exclaimed. "I have to get back home, but who knows how long it will take for a broken wing to heal?"

As Ty asked himself that question, he could have sworn he heard someone say, "Perhaps it will heal a lot faster if you don't move it so much, young barn owl."

Ty froze as he saw the shadow of a creature, and as he rotated his head, he realized that it was the same creature that saved him from the crows; except that it's face wasn't covered, so the barn owl got a clear look at its face. It had a nose that slightly resembles a beak of a bird with a small mouth below it, oddly shaped ears that are nearly visible, and dark brownish-yellow hair flowed from the top of its head. It also had two small eyes which appeared to be amber-colored, Ty relaxed until he saw the creature smile; showing its teeth which upon closer inspection had sharp teeth for tearing off meat in the front and flat teeth for grinding up plants in the back.

"You're not from here are you?" the stranger asked.

Ty shook his head, but he was shocked by how the creature spoke.

"You can speak Hoolian?" Ty asked.

"Well, yes and no," the being answered. "The language that you call Hoolian and the language that I speak may appear to be similar, but that doesn't mean they are the same language. Although they are not the same language, many words spoken with either one have the same meaning."

"So you're trying to say that your language and mine have originated from another language from long ago?" asked the barn owl.

The stranger nodded. "In a way, yes."

Ty then stared at the stranger's appendage, noticing that the metal that once covered it is gone.

"I don't suppose you trying to look for this were you?" the stranger said.

As Ty spun his head around, he saw the stranger holding the strange metal object that it wore before, along with an object made from some sort of rough material.

"You're curious about what this is, don't you Barn Owl?"

Ty nodded his head.

"Well this is what my kind called a gauntlet; it is a type of protective glove which is worn with armor like this. I almost never leave this place without it, because you never know when it could come in handy," the stranger answered.

Ty was amazed at the stranger's explanation of the gauntlet, but then another thought crossed his mind. "Why did you protect me?"

The stranger blinked. "Hmm?"

Ty took a deep breath before speaking up. "Those crows that attacked me before, why did you protect me from them?"

The stranger looked surprised that the question was even asked. "Well why not? I didn't want you to get hurt." Ty was silent for a moment, and the stranger's eyes suddenly widened with understanding. "You're wondering why a being like me saved you, aren't you." Ty nodded. "I know you and aren't that much alike; I mean you're short and I'm tall; you have feathers and I don't; but deep down inside us all we're pretty much the same. Besides your kind helps keeps nature in balance, because without owls, rodents will overpopulated. If that happens then all the other animals won't be able to get any food of their own, would they?"

"I guess they wouldn't," Ty replied.

"And the crows are a nuisance to me as well, unlike you owls, I have to grow my food out in the open; and it's impossible to do that with them crows flying about. And when I saw you doing your best to defend yourself against the crows, I remember an old saying that the kind used to say: _the enemy of my enemy is my friend_. I just couldn't let you be killed so I chose to scare away those crows with these coals that I found during one of my trips to the place that I believe your kind calls the Kingdoms of N'yrthgar."

"I guess your parents taught you a lot to become who you are today," Ty answered happily.

"I don't know about that," the stranger sadly answered.

Ty caught the sadness in the stranger's voice. "What's wrong?"

The stranger was silent for a moment before they spoke again. "I don't remember much about my parents. I do remember living with them with my older brother and younger sister when I was a child, or a hatchling in your case, and that they told me that I was born during a solar eclipse. But…"

"But?"

"That was all I could remember from then; ever since I was a child, I had to learn to survive on my own, with a little help from some of the creatures I met. The only one I could count on was me," the stranger explained.

"Why?"

"I was the only one I could count on because I lost my family when I was a child," the stranger replied.

Ty then spoke up. "You were an orphan?"

The stranger nodded. "I know that I'm the only living member of my birth family, but I know I'm not the only one of my kind. That's why I came here, to search for another of my kind. If they aren't found before my time on this world is up, my kind will surely disappear off the face of the Earth."

"If they aren't found… You're not one of the animals that were born in this forest?" Ty asked.

"I am… something that used to live in the ruins that were once castles or churches," the stranger answered.

Ty gizzard was suddenly filed with excitement. "You mean, you're an Other?"

"If that is what you call my kind now, then yes it is," the stranger answered.

Ty then gave himself a pinch, when he felt pain he thought _Not a dream, this is real!_ Then a thought came to the barn owl's mind. "But, what do you mean by disappear?"

Ty soon began to approach the Other, however as he did the stranger has begun to back away. Ty doesn't know why they were backing away from him but he kept trying to approach him. While Ty kept approaching them, it grabbed something. As it did Ty was about to perch upon the stranger's appendages before…

***THWACK***

Ty then collapsed on the ground, realizing that the Other hit him with a stick. "OW! You're really not from this forest. No animal would try to hurt an owl like that!"

"Sorry for that, but if you didn't know, all the birds of prey; such as owls, have talons that can pierce my skin. If you would have let me known that you wanted to ride on my arm, I would have put on my gauntlet as a way to protect myself. The gauntlet made from leather, which is a thick material." The Other then put on the gauntlet before it continued speaking. "Anyway, to answer your question, to disappear means to become extinct; that was the fate that my species were given ever since the aftermath of the war that wiped out almost millions of my kind, so if I am the last of my kind or if I don't find a mate for myself, that's the end of my species."

Upon hearing this, Ty felt sorry for the stranger since their kind have such a miserable past.

'I'm really sorry that went through so much. If it makes you feel any better, if my Da was here; he would feel empathy for you, because back when he was a hatchling he became an orphan just like you."

The Other then extended their arm that was bearing the gauntlet. "Hop on to my gauntlet, Barn Owl," Ty heard the Other say. The barn owl hesitated, the Other then caught on to Ty's doubts. "You need to get back home don't you?" Ty nodded. "Then don't worry, I will help you get back home."

Ty gizzard filled with excitement. "Thank you!" Ty was so excited that he almost perched on the wrong arm because…

***THWACK***

"What did I just tell you about your talons?" the Other reminded the owlet.

"I'm sorry, I just got a little carried away since I have been away from home for 4 days," Ty said.

"A little?" The stranger asked. "And how do you know it's still been four days?"

"What do you mean?" Ty was greeted with silence before a thought came to him. "Exactly long was I asleep for?"

"I believe you been asleep for a week; ten days to be precise," the Other replied.

"But that means that I have been away from home for… for…" Ty hesitated.

"2 weeks," the Other replied. "I believe you and I both know that you need to get back home as soon as possible. Because I'm pretty sure that your parents as well as your friends are realizing right now that you have left."

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Meanwhile back the great tree, Bell is brought to the Parliament chamber in front of see Soren, Twilight, Gylfie, and Digger.

"Would you kindly tell us where Tyto could be right now?" Soren asked Bell.

"I definitely know where Ty is not but I don't know where Ty is right now," Bell try to explain.

"We just want to know where he went, Bell," Gylfie said.

"Ever since that Otulissa told your brother about the scroom of an Other named Kathryn Lasky, that owlet couldn't stop thinking about those extinct creatures," Twilight angrily proclaimed.

"Well Otulissa is the most intelligent owl of the great tree, especially since she is now the ryb for the Ga'Hoology chaw, which now that I think about it is funny because she hated that chaw," Digger explained.

"That still doesn't explain why Tyto left without letting one of us know," Gylfie said.

'Now that I think about it," Soren replied. A few weeks ago during twixt time, Tyto was unable to sleep, as I caught him returning to the nest, he appeared to have heard something that interested him. I believe that is why he left, because he heard something that made him curious," Soren explained. "But what made him curious is the real question."

The four owls then directed their attention to Bell, hoping that she knows the reason Ty left.

"I honestly don't know the true reason Ty left, but I believe it is best if you ask him yourselves, once he returns that is," Bell explained.

"Alright then, we will wait for Ty to return so he will explain his actions," Soren replied. "However if he doesn't have a good explanation for why he left the great tree without our permission, you know what will happen Bell."

"I do," Bell replied.

As soon as the meeting was over, Bell went to the hollow where she was raised in, and looked towards Ty's empty nest.

_Please come back soon Ty, because if you don't… I don't want to think about it_, thought Bell.

* * *

Croft: _n_. an infirmary bed in the Great Tree

Ga'Hoology: _n_. the study of the great Ga'Hoole tree, and its history (a chaw)

Scroom: _n_. ghost

* * *

**Uh oh! Soren knows that Ty is missing, this isn't good! And how is Ty going to get back the Great Tree if his wing is still broken. Well, I don't want to spoil too much about the next chapter but I will say this: Ty isn't the only bird of prey that the Other knows, but you will have to wait till next time to find out who. You may have noticed that the part where the Other kept whacking Ty with the stick is similar to the scene from that Japanese film **_**Hotarubi no Mori e**_**, I think I'll do something like that in a few of my chapters. If you want to watch it, it's on YouTube; it's only a 45 minute film but also really funny and near the end it'll make you cry. Also, I feel kind of bad about giving that Other a sad story, but if the story is a little vague, I will do a chapter with flashbacks on the Other's sad past, that's a promise. Also the name of the Other will be shown in the next chapter, I promise you that. As for that unspoken punishment, I will show what it is in another chapter soon. One more thing, about that scroom that Twilight mentioned, she is technically a minor character in the Ga'Hoole series, not to mention the scroom's name is also the name for the author of the book series; I just thought you, the readers, should know this interesting fact.**

** Which reminds me, it's that time again when I tell you some interesting facts about one of the species of owls; the elf owl.**

***When captured, this tiny owl will play dead until all danger has passed.**

***They are not very aggressive, preferring to fly away rather than fight**

***Because it can be too cold in the desert for many nocturnal insects, the elf owl will migrate to Mexico during the winter**

**Before I end this chapter, Nightfury18 asked me a question during her second to last review which was and I quote: "How long barn owls can live in the wild?" Well Nightfury18, according to .edu; ****most barn owls do not live very long. Many only survive one breeding season. However, some barn owls do live for many years. The oldest wild barn owl lived 34 years. The average wild barn owl lives for at least 20.80 months. I hope this answers your question Nightfury18.**

**Alright that's all the time I have now, so I'm pyrusmew4 and until next time, keep your burning spirit blazing, have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!**


End file.
